Tokyo (EFE).- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is “making progress” in its access to the facilities of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, said today the general director of this body, Rafael Mariano Grossi, who added that ” it will take time” to complete the plant safety assessment.
Grossi affirmed that the emissaries of this body “have been able to have more access” to areas of the plant, and he was confident that he could obtain permission from the Russian troops to be able to supervise the roofs of the plant, in a press conference held this Friday in Tokyo.
The head of the IAEA pointed out that despite the fact that in recent days there was “concern that an incident could occur” at the nuclear facilities controlled by Russian troops, for the moment “no indication of explosions or the presence of mines or other explosives” in the areas where they have had access.
Grossi warned, however, that the full assessment of the security situation in Zaporizhia “will take time”, since it is “an active zone” of war, and after Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of concoct plans to sabotage this infrastructure for military advantage.
“So sometimes it can take us a day or two to get authorization from the Russian troops that are in control,” said the Argentine diplomat, when asked about the issue during his visit to Japan to present an IAEA report on the discharge of contaminated and treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Grossi also stressed that in Zaporizhia “there are many issues to be verified”, among which he highlighted “the physical integrity of the plant, or the issue of water following the destruction of the Kajovka dam” last month.
In this context, the IAEA considers that “an emergency response mechanism must be in place for any contingency that may occur,” added Grossi.